'We want a refund': Capitals going 'all in' for Stanley Cup as they cruise past Lightning in Game 1

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TAMPA — When the Washington Capitals held a 4-0 lead 27 minutes into Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final, a Tampa Bay Lightning fan in the last row of Amalie Arena tried to wrap his disappointment in humor.

Finally, honesty got the better of the fan, and he yelled: “We want the Cup.”

The problem is the Capitals might want the Stanley Cup as much, maybe even more, than anyone else, and that is becoming an important story in the 2018 playoffs. The Capitals’ 4-2 win against the Lightning in Game 1 is more confirmation that this Capitals team isn’t like previous Washington teams that have played too nervously to find success in the postseason.

“It feels like we are all in, and all in is kind of becoming our standard of play,” said Washington forward T.J. Oshie. “If we stay on that track, I think we are going to be a pretty good team."

The urgency, missing from Washington’s postseason performances in recent years, has showed up this season in the form of a team-wide commitment to getting the job done.

At the point when Washington scored its fourth goal, the Capitals had only allowed four Lightning shots on goal. In the final 3 1/2 minutes of the game, when the Lightning were pushing for shots, the Capitals limited them to one.

“Our D zone coverage and our reads – they seem to be becoming second nature for us,” Oshie said. “Guys aren’t thinking about where they have to go. They know where to go.”

The Capitals are playing with more confidence than they have in recent years. Beating the two-time defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins helped.

Quick. Simple. Smart. That’s Trotz’s explanation of how the Capitals are playing.

“That’s probably the best we’ve played through the neutral zone in a while,” Washington defenseman John Carlson said.

It's too early to know exactly where this is headed, but this was an important win because the Capitals had no letdown after an emotional series win against Pittsburgh, and they beat the team that oddsmarkers are calling the favorite to win the Stanley Cup.

The Capitals also won Game 1 with key player Nicklas Backstrom sidelined with an undisclosed injury.

Washington’s response was a strong start and a relentless effort. This seems like a different team, but its core players, Alex Ovechkin, Oshie, Carlson and others, are stepping up. They're playing more efficiently than they have in past playoffs.

Ovechkin scored his ninth goal of the postseason. He has 17 points in 13 games.

The Capitals are showing that they are capable of sustaining a style of play necessary to win a championship. They can rise up offensively and clamp down defensively.

“This group is having fun,” Trotz said. “They’re calm. They’ve got a really good work ethic and really we’re just trying to earn the right to keep playing and nothing more. We have a real good group that likes to be around each other and have these moments and play in the playoffs you don’t want those to go away so I think there’s a real good bond within our room and a resiliency, if you will.

"We’ve had to go through some adversity at the end of last year and early this year that I think has made us a better team a better organization and better suited for these situations in the playoffs.”

Game 7: Winnipeg Jets defenseman Tyler Myers (57) is congratulated by defenseman Ben Chiarot (7) after a goal during the first period of a 5-1 win over the Nashville Predators.
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Game 6: Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury reaches for the puck before San Jose Sharks right wing Kevin Labanc can get to it. Fleury made 28 saves for his fourth shutout of the playoffs.
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Game 3: Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and center Steven Stamkos lie on top of Boston Bruins center David Krejci while protecting the goal during the third period of Tampa's 4-1 win.
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Game 2: James Shaw Jr., the hero in the recent Waffle House shooting in Tennessee, sits in the stands after being introduced during the first period in the Nashville Predators' game against the Winnipeg Jets.
Shelley Mays, The (Nashville) Tennessean

Game 1: Nashville Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm (14) reacts after a goal by Winnipeg Jets center Paul Stastny (second from left) during the second period of a 4-1 loss.
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Game 1: Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin (8) kneels on the ice after missing a shot on Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray (30) in the first period of a 3-2 loss.
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Game 7: Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak (88) celebrates with defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) after scoring a goal during the third period of a 7-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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Game 6: Colorado Avalanche goaltender Andrew Hammond, who dominated the Nashville Predators in Game 5, looked human in a 5-0 loss that sent Nashville to the second round.
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Game 5: Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog (92) celebrates after scoring a goal to tie the game during the third period of a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators.
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Game 4: Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov looks up after he's knocked to the ice in the third period. Kucherov earlier had knocked Devils defenseman Sami Vatanen out of the game with a hard hit.
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Game 4: Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who named a Vezina Trophy finalist earlier in the day, makes one of his 30 saves in a 2-0 victory against the Minnesota Wild.
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Game 3: New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider, back, was named No. 2 star in a 5-2 victory against Tampa Bay Lightning. Getting his first start of the playoffs, he made 34 saves for his first win since Dec. 27.
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Game 1: Nashville Predators forward Craig Smith (15) celebrates with Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg (9) after a goal during the second period of a 5-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche.
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Game 1: The Vegas Golden Knights celebrate with goalie Marc-Andre Fleury following their 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, their first playoff win in team history.
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